A Good Listener
by Winter-Rae
Summary: Some would say that Bridgette had a gift. That gift? Listening to all of her friend's troubles and lending an encouraging word to help. Brigold, LeDunca, and Gwyler.


**A Good Listener**

**Title:** A Good Listener

**Summary:** Some would say that Bridgette had a gift. That gift? Listening to all of her friend's troubles and lending an encouraging word to help.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing!

**Pairings:** Gwen/Tyler, Duncan/LeShawna, Bridgette/Harold mentioned Noah/Lindsey, Beth/DJ

**Warnings:** The usual

**Winter-Rae:** I have been in such a rut lately and I am trying so hard to get out if it. So I thought that writing about some of my favourite pairings might help me. Anyway, enjoy!

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><p><strong>A Good Listener<strong>

It was a beautiful day.

And if there was one thing that Bridgette loved a lot, it was those perfect and beautiful days. The ones where the sun was shining but it wasn't uncomfortably hot, there was a nice breeze but not so windy that your hair kept whipping into your face (or worse, your mouth), and finally she had pretty much all of her friends around her. Yes, it was just one of those rare and perfect days...aside from still being part of a Total Drama season that is.

Still, the surfer girl sighed happily, stretched her arms up and grinned as her shoulders popped in their joints; signalling that they were sufficiently stretched out. Harold; her boyfriend; glanced at her as she did this and shook his head, all with a smile on his face.

"I thought that cracking your joints could cause arthritis," he pointed out, teasing her slightly. She glanced at him and stuck out her tongue in a playful manner.

"Actually, cracking your joints helps to get rid of carbon monoxide that can build up and make it harder to move," she pointed out, "It also helps to keep the joint fluid moving."

Harold wrapped his arms around her waist and then nuzzled her cheek.

"Oh, I love it when you talk nerdy."

Bridgette giggled, enjoying their moment together

"Well if it isn't the world's cutest and most nauseating couple."

Bridgette felt her boyfriend tense and his arms around her waist tightened as well. The two of them turned in time to see LeShawna tap Duncan on the back of the head. The punk winced and rubbed the spot.

"How many times have I asked you to stop trying to beat the polite into me?" he scolded her. LeShawna chuckled.

"Oh I'd say about a dozen or so," she mused, "But still, isn't a light tap here and there better than getting kicked in the kiwis. Think of this as positive and negative reinforcement. You do something nice, and," she kissed his cheek, "You get a reward. But do something nasty and, well you get the idea right?"

The punk had no response to that but he crossed his arms over his chest in a signal of defeat. Bridgette couldn't help but be pleased that Duncan and LeShawna had gotten together. He needed someone to keep him in line without being completely horrible to him. As much as she didn't trust Duncan, he had been much more tolerable as of late, thanks to LeShawna's way of dealing with him. She was firm, but never outright mean or hurtful.

"I told you to stop teasing Harold," Bridgette pointed out, frowning at him, "And also, don't insult our relationship, it hurts my feelings."

"Alright, alright, my bad."

"He's just insecure," Harold said with a shrug, "He knows that at any time LeShawna could be hit with the epiphany that she could do better and leave him."

Duncan looked alarmed and quickly glanced at LeShawna.

"You're leaving me?"

"Really?" she asked, shaking her head, "That's what you took from that statement?"

"What else am I supposed to take out of it?" he asked. LeShawna heaved a sigh.

"No, Duncan I'm not leaving you."

Duncan grinned and glanced at the other two.

"Ha, see."

"That whole conversation has just proven my point," Harold mused, "Ah, the day is good."

"Anyway," Bridgette said, before another argument between Harold and Duncan broke out, "Did you need something LeShawna, were you looking for me?"

The tough girl nodded.

"I thought we could have some girl time," she said with a wink, "We haven't hung out in ages. I figured we could go and hunt down Gwen and chill somewhere, maybe go and get some drinks or something?"

Never one to turn down an opportunity to hang out with her two best friends, Bridgette nodded enthusiastically.

"That sounds great, let's go."

"And that's it?" Duncan asked, slight jealously creeping into his voice "Hoes before Bros is it?"

LeShawna frowned at him.

"Now I know you did not just call me and my girls 'hoes.'"

Duncan paled while Harold chuckled, oh how he enjoyed watching LeShawna give the punk crap for saying stupid things.

"Umm...I...uhhh...gotta go, have fun babe!"

Duncan quickly pecked LeShawna on the cheek and hurried off; leaving her to roll her eyes and shake her head. Harold kissed Bridgette goodbye and waved them off.

"Have your girl time," he said, "I'm going to find Noah and Cody, the three of us had been discussing Star Trek the other day. We were trying to come to an agreement on which of the Enterprise captains are the best."

"Picard all the way," Bridgette called out, waving to her boyfriend. Harold beamed.

"That's my girl."

Once he was out of sight LeShawna tossed Bridgette a grin.

"You two, are too happy I swear it."

The surfer girl smiled brightly.

"One can never be too happy LeShawna, especially when Harold is that amazing, looks like Duncan is giving you a bit of a hard time though."

When her friend didn't reply right away, Bridgette became concerned. She placed a comforting hand on LeShawna's shoulder.

"Is there something wrong? He's not treating you badly is he? Because if he is, I swear I'll..."

"Calm down there G.I. Jane," LeShawna teased, "He's treating me just fine. I'm not gonna lie though, this is the most difficult relationship I have ever been in."

Bridgette linked arms with her friend and led her towards some lounge chairs. After taking their seats she held her friend's gaze to show her that she was dialled right into the conversation. That was one of the many great things about Bridgette, in LeShawna's opinion; she was always ready to lend a listening ear or a friendly comment in a time of need.

"So what's been happening?"

"Well, I had always thought that I had Duncan all figured out," LeShawna began, "I thought he was going to be all about the physical stuff, you know, the pressuring type. I also thought that he would be way too much of a jack-ass. I was convinced that I was going to end up being the one to dump him maybe a week into dating him on the count of him being pushy."

Bridgette was confused. In her mind LeShawna had just described Duncan down to the smallest detail. He was a punk, and a rude one at that, he never seemed interested in another person's feelings. And judging how his past relationships had ended, he really did seem to only be interested in sex, or other physical aspects of a relationship.

"Are you telling me that Duncan is...sensitive?"

Bridgette had said it as a joke but when LeShawna nodded, she couldn't help but be a little surprised. Okay she was pretty much shocked speechless for a few seconds.

"I had no idea."

"Oh he does a grand job of hiding it," LeShawna mused, "But that boy is just that, a scared little boy who is worried that the next person he cares about is gonna walk out that door and never come back. You won't tell him, or anyone else that I told you this right? We're working on it but Duncan is a very private and withdrawn person."

Bridgette held up her right hand.

"Surfer's honour."

LeShawna smiled and hugged her.

"You're the best."

"I try, but why is he so harsh all the time though? Did someone pass away in his family that he was close too or something?"

"Girl, you are good."

"You mean, I'm right?"

LeShawna nodded.

"His grandfather," she explained, "He used to be the only one Duncan would ever listen too, because he respected him. The man was a great police officer and Duncan idolized him, followed him everywhere, trying to learn everything he could because he wanted to follow in his footsteps someday. When he would get into a fight with his parents, or in trouble at school, he'd run out of the house and his grandfather was the first one he went too."

"What happened to him?"

"Heart attack, Duncan said he was doing one of his stretches in juvie when it happened, he never got to say goodbye to him."

Bridgette nodded. She could empathize with Duncan completely. Her father had passed away, when she was just a little girl, of a brain aneurysm. One minute he had been there and the next minute he was gone. She had been devastated when it happened, and like Duncan she was also not able to say goodbye.

"No offense LeShawna, but I never thought I would ever end up feeling sorry for Duncan," she said. LeShawna sighed and then nodded.

"I know, he does a lot to keep people away."

"How did you manage to get through to him though?"

LeShawna shrugged.

"I don't know, maybe my loudmouth is finally good for something though eh?"

Bridgette shook her head.

"I think it's because he respects you."

LeShawna thought on that for a moment and then nodded slowly.

"Maybe...when he's not saying stupid things like 'hoes before bros' anyway."

The two girls exchanged looks, and reached a silent agreement to change the subject. Bridgette couldn't help but smile. Not only did she gain a little more understanding when it came to Duncan, but she just learned that LeShawna was probably one of the most patient people she had ever had the privilege of being friends with.

"Let's go find Gwen," the surfer girl said, successfully changing the subject, "I feel like I haven't talked to her in forever either!"

Together they left their chairs and started to head down towards the beach. This season they were finally at a resort which had an exceptional beach with awesome waves for surfing. It looked like the producers were finally making Chris use their funding a little more appropriately. This had shocked everyone when they were invited back for another season.

"Now, what in the world is that girl doing?"

With her first line of through broken, Bridgette followed LeShawna's glance until it settled on their other friend. Gwen was sitting on a towel, under a beach umbrella, watching while some of the guys played a very crude game of football. Crude in that DJ and Ezekiel stood shaking their heads while Tyler and Cody fought over the ball. Gwen was smiling brightly and a faint blush was even tinting her cheeks.

"Aww, she's so adorable when she's blushing," Bridgette commented. LeShawna grinned.

"She's happy, that's the main thing."

"But who has her so happy I wonder?" Bridgette asked. LeShawna looked at her in surprise.

"You don't know?"

The confused look on Bridgette's face suggested that she indeed had no idea just what LeShawna might be referring too. The tough girl bit her lip.

"I don't know if I should say anything."

"Oh come on LeShawna!" Bridgette begged, grabbing her friend's arm, "You can't just get me all interested like that and then not tell me what's going on! I know I've been out of the loop recently but I miss all the girl talk the three of us used to have."

LeShawna smiled in agreement. Of course she could hardly blame Bridgette for missing out on the new developments. That was because she and Harold were working on their newly established relationship.

It was hard not to believe in love when one saw Harold and Bridgette together. The two of them just seemed so in sync with each other. Harold was actually very outgoing and always willing to try new things, which worked out perfectly with Bridgette's adventurous spirit. The two of them also loved doting on one another. It wasn't a surprise to see Harold shower Bridgette with flowers or even little gifts here and there. He always called them 'just because' gifts, something that Bridgette found adorable. And she, well, it wasn't anything for her to shower Harold with public displays of affection.

It wasn't really a surprise when Bridgette's relationship with Geoff crashed and burned, the guy had no sense of what she wanted out of life. She eventually wanted to settle down and have a house full of kids; last LeShawna heard Bridgette wanted at least four, maybe five if they had the means. The moment Geoff heard that, he didn't react to it well. He told her that kids were annoying, expensive and would get in the way of more important things.

"Like what?" Bridgette had demanded.

"Well, like all the fun we have now, not to mention the parties," Geoff had replied as he tried to pull her in for a kiss. Bridgette had shoved his away angrily.

"Hey, as much as I like making out, there are more important things in life!"

"Oh give me a break Bridgette, now you decide to act like a big girl? Get over yourself."

With that said Bridgette had ended the relationship, disrespect was never one thing she handled very well. As much fun as she had with Geoff, they were just not meant to be a long term thing, and that was okay; change was a good thing.

Okay, who was she kidding, she had been really upset. But she was nearly 19 years old now and it was time to grow up and get serious.

So when Harold offered her a comforting shoulder to cry on, and advice on how to move on, it was only a matter of time before they became good friends. And then they took the next step, becoming a couple. Still in the honeymoon stage of their relationship they hadn't had many arguments but any that arose were always dealt with quickly and carefully.

Harold was dedicated in all he did, and that included nurturing the feelings that he and Bridgette had for each other. He was a special guy and Bridgette considered herself very lucky to have him in her life.

"Okay, fine, you convinced me," LeShawna burst out, "Our lovely goth girl is currently dating our handsome, yet slightly awkward, jock boy."

Bridgette looked towards Tyler, who had managed to wrestle the ball away from Cody and toss it towards DJ, who caught it easily.

"No! Way!" she squealed, "That is just so cute! Who else is dating that I don't know about?"

LeShawna laughed.

"Well, let's see here, Noah and Lindsey."

Bridgette's jaw dropped.

"Come on, you're pulling my leg."

"Nope, book worm actually worked up the courage to ask her out and Lindsey was thrilled."

"Aww, that's so sweet, he needs a nice girl and she certainly is nice enough for both of them."

"And guess who else?"

"Who?" the surfer demanded excitedly.

"Beth and DJ."

Bridgette could hardly contain herself. She knew she was acting like a complete girly-girl, but she couldn't help it. The thought of big, strong and gentle DJ dating sweet, kind hearted Beth was almost too much for her to take.

"How did that happen?"

"Oh you know, a classic tale of the hero swooping in to save the damsel from the two manipulative hotties who run around here thinking they are God's gift to the earth."

Bridgette frowned.

"Alejandro and Justin, I can't stand them!"

"Amen to that," LeShawna said in agreement, "I suppose the two of them had a wager over who could get a date with Beth first. DJ had overheard this and put a stop to it quickly, telling them that they had no right to play with a girl's heart, especially someone as sweet as Beth. Girl was so taken with DJ after that all he had to do was smile at her and she'd giggle like a school girl."

Bridgette glanced towards the beach to see Beth wave shyly at DJ. The gentle giant smiled brightly and returned the gesture. A single look between them was all it took to convince Bridgette that they would last.

She then turned her attention back to Gwen as they approached her.

"Hi Gwen, what are you doing?"

The goth girl looked up and smiled at them as they sat under the beach umbrella with her.

"Oh just watching the game," she replied, nodding towards the four boys.

"I bet," LeShawna teased. Gwen stuck her tongue out at her, but that didn't hide the playful smirk on her face.

"LeShawna told me about you and Tyler," Bridgette said excitedly. The goth nodded.

"Yep, it took a lot of convincing but I finally agreed to go out on a date with him a few months ago."

"So, how was it?"

Gwen sighed dreamily.

"Fun, loud, romantic, magical...perfect."

"Oh this is a story that I have to hear," the surfer stated, "Spill it, everything! What do you find attractive about him? Is he good to you? What kinds of things do you two do together?"

Gwen laughed.

"Jeez, we all need to hang out more apparently," she said, "What do I not find attractive about him? That's the better question, the other one would take too long. He's very good to me; sweet, funny, charming. Sometimes he likes to watch me when I'm working on my art and I've even gone to a couple of games for him since he likes them so much. Mostly though we hang out and watch movies, or go dancing."

Gwen glanced back towards Tyler and got this dreamy expression on her face.

"He just has this presence, like he knows just what he wants out of life and won't stop until he gets it," she explained, "He told me that I'm the only one he sees himself with. He's got this thing where he likes to take care of the people he loves, I like knowing that I'm safe with him, I don't have to worry about being hurt."

"He makes you feel special doesn't he?" Bridgette asked. Gwen nodded.

"He does."

"I think we're all lucky in that aspect," LeShawna pointed out, "All the boys we chose make us feel like we're the only girl in the room."

"Best thing of all, is that he makes me laugh," Gwen added, "I've never smiled this much in any other relationship."

"Ladies! The three of you are just so beautiful; my poor heart can't take it! I feel so faint!"

The three of them looked up as Tyler threw himself on the beach towel in between Gwen and LeShawna. He rolled over onto his stomach and propped himself up on his elbows and then, he shook his head quickly to splatter them with water from his soaked hair.

"Ewww!" Bridgette squealed, "That better be water and not sweat Tyler!"

"But it's clean sweat!" Tyler argued jokingly, "I just showered this morning, I promise."

"Boy, you nasty!" LeShawna laughed.

"No worries, it's water," he said, "Cody tackled me and we both landed in the lake."

"So you thought you'd come here and get me and my towel all wet?" Gwen asked him.

"Yes, that was part of my sinister plan all along!"

"And what was the other part?" Gwen asked him.

"To smother you with wet kisses of course."

"Don't you dare, I don't want to get all wet right now."

"Oh come on Gwen."

Tyler reached out for her, but Gwen jumped to her feet and took off down the beach. The jock laughed and chased her down, trying to catch her, but Gwen would dodge out of his way just before he could get her. She was laughing and teasing him the entire time, so when he did finally catch her and the two of them tumbled into the sand, with him on top of her, she just reached up and touched his face.

In that moment their friends sort of faded from their surroundings, nothing else seemed to matter when they were like this.

"Hey beautiful," he said turning his face to kiss her fingers, "I caught you."

"Hmm, that you did, now where are those wet kisses you spoke of."

"Right here," he said, kissing her nose, "And here," kissing her cheek, "And here too," kissing her forehead, "Oh and we can't forget here."

The final kiss landed on her lips. It was soft at first, then deep and passionate, a kiss that only Tyler could manage. Gwen's arms wrapped around him and held him close even as he ended the kiss. They held each other's gaze as he let his fingers trail down her arm.

"Umm guys?" the couple looked up at DJ, who stood over them with a smirk on his face, "Not sure, but you might want to take this somewhere more private, half the beach is watching you."

Tyler glanced around and sure enough they had an audience. Some of their guy friends were giving him the thumbs up however and Bridgette was cooing at how cute they were. Gwen couldn't help but chuckle.

"See, you distract me terribly."

"I can't help it," Tyler replied as he got up and helped her to his feet, "I just see you and I have no choice but to kiss you."

She laced their fingers together and made their way back to LeShawna and Bridgette, only now Duncan and Harold had joined them.

"Nice technique dude," Duncan said approvingly, and then jokingly added, "I especially liked the 'tender' touch on her arm. It was very smooth and altogether lame."

Tyler rolled his eyes.

"Well, you can't argue with results," he said.

"Don't let him get to you Tyler," LeShawna said, "Odds are he's so going to try that move on me tonight."

"Was not!"

"In any case!" Bridgette interrupted, ever being the peacekeeper, "How about we all go on a triple date, it'll be fun."

Duncan was about to complain but when he saw the excited expression on LeShawna's face, he sighed and gave in.

"Sure, not like I had anything better to do."

"Thanks baby," LeShawna said, hugging him, "You make me really happy."

Duncan's chest swelled with pride and he threw an arm around her shoulders. The three couples started to make their way back to the resort to get ready for their night out.

"Shoot, hang on," Gwen said, "I forgot my towel."

As the goth hurried back to the beach Bridgette tapped Tyler's shoulder to get his attention.

"What's up Bridge?"

"Thanks for being so good to Gwen," she said, "I love seeing her happy."

The jock grinned.

"Well, I love making her happy."

Bridgette saw Gwen approaching them from behind, she was about to greet her when Gwen held her finger to her lips, signalling her to stay quite. She was probably planning to scare Tyler, so Bridgette merely smiled and complimented Tyler on his football skills.

Tyler was about to reply when Gwen wound up and smacked his rear. The jock jumped, yelped and then turned towards her; once he saw who the culprit was he smiled and threw his arm around her shoulders.

"Somehow I don't mind being violated by you Gwen."

The goth girl smiled.

"I know, that's why I do it."

"Come on you three, hustle it up," Harold called out, "Duncan seems to think we're all going out to some lame horror movie."

"Better than a freaking chick flick!" the punk argued. Bridgette heaved a sigh as she, Gwen and Tyler hurried to catch up with the others.

"Some things will never change," the surfer mused. Gwen grinned.

"That's okay; it adds to the dynamic of our circle, those two keep things interesting."

"That's one way to put it," Tyler mused.

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><p><strong>Winter-Rae:<strong> Umm, so yeah, this oneshot sort of went to places I didn't expect it to go. Especially the part about Duncan, it just sort of spilled out while I was typing. In any case I hope you all enjoyed it. I am off to write more now, maybe some Beth/DJ is in order? Cheers!


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